Self-dumping elevator.



C. W. LEVALLEYL SELF DUNI'PNG ELEVATOR. APPLICATION FILED MAY I6. I9I2.

Patented Jan. 18, 19165.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

C. W. LEVALLEY.

SELF DUMPING ELEVATOH.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I6, I9I2.

11,168,947', Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

I1 vanto/a se@ I raue.

SELF-DUMPING ELEVATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 18,1916.

Application filed May 16, 1912. Serial No. 697,652.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHRISTOPHER W. LEVALLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Visconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Self-Dumping Elevators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of elevators or hoists which are used for moving material vertically, as for example, material to be used in the erection of buildings, or ore from mines. It has for its object to produce an upright guide frame that is of simple and vet strong construction, and may be easily made of such length as the uses to which the elevator is put may require; by the use of more or less sections, united to each other end to end, and also to produce a self-dumping and self-righting bucket or carrier of novel construction and vertically movable in the said frame. These and the other objects of the invention are obtained by means of the apparatus illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which :y

Figure l is a side elevation of the apparatus, the hoisting bucket being represented in full lines in a lower position and in dotted lines in an elevated position, and in the act of tilting and discharging. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line III-III of Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a portion of the apparatus showing a different arrangement of the feeding device from that illustrated in Figs. l and 2. Fig. 5 is a front view of the parts illustrated in Fig. 4.

The upright guide frame consists of a lower section, an upper section, and, when the height of the frame demands, one or more intermediate sections, such sections being rigidly connected together end to end. The lower section and the upper section are preferably complete structures while the intermediate sections may be constructed as the upright framework is set up. The lower section of the guide frame consists of a. pair of upright pieces l, l, preferably of channel bar construction, bottom cross connecting pieces 3 of any suitable or desired construction, and a base piece 4. The uprights l are united and braced by a. frame 5 which surrounds the bucket space, such frame being rigidly secured to the uprights at suitable height, the number of such frames employed for the section being determined by its length, one being usually sufficient. The base piece 4 is preferably extended to one side somedistance beyond the frame section in order to afford a bearing for the pulley 6.

The top section of the guide frame consists of a pair of uprights 2, 2, connected at their upper ends by cross pieces 8 which at one side extend transversely beyond the limits of the section, as indicated at 8 to provide a bearing for a pulley 9 that is adapted tobe situated directly. above the pulley 6 when the guide frame is set up. A third pulley 7 is supported by the cross piece or pieces 8 directly over the center of the bucket space.

Another feature of the upper or top section is the horizontal frame l0 secured to the uprights 2 near their lower ends and arranged to constitute a support for the chute or hopper ll 'to which the material from the hoisting bucket is discharged. This horizontal frame may take the place of the bracing frame 5, for the upper section.

The uprights of the intermediate sections are designated 1,2 and these are connected and braced by the horizontal frames 5 such as I have already described in connection with the lower section. The upright pieces of the several sections are preferably alike and formed of channel bars of metal perforated as indicated in the drawings, or in any suitable manner for the ready attachment of the various parts by bolts or rivets, as may be desired.

The sections are united to each other end to end by fish bars or connecting plates 13, preferably of channel shape. Vhen properly bolted to the vupright sections they serve to rigidly -unite the sections and hold them in line with each other. The horizontal frame l0 that supports the hopper or chute ll is subject to greater strains than the horizontal frames 5, and I therefore find it advantageous to strengthen it by braces 14 which extend from the outer edge of the horizontal frame to upright pieces of the guide frame, preferably to pieces 12 of that intermediate section which is next below the top section.

A convenient length for the several sections of the upright framework is twelve feet. The bottom section and the top section will always be used. United they constitute a framework where there is to be but a short hoist. The use of intermediate sections permits the framework to be easily made any height desired. As represented inthe drawings, the channel bars constituting the uprights of the sections are perforated and this permits the framework to be supporte from the structure adjacent to which it erected by connecting brace piecesl which may be bolted to the uprights.

Supported in the channels of the upright frame pieces are guiding ribs formed by angle bars 15 secured to the said'upright frame pieces.

In the upright frame formed as described, the hoisting dumping bucket 19 is vertically movable, the bucket being supported in a sliding frame that consists essentially of a pair of upright pieces 16, 16, upper cross pieces 17, angle plates 18 uniting the pieces 16 and 17, and a cross shaft 20 upon which the bucket is supported and about which it swings, extending between and connecting the upright pieces 16 near their lower ends, the shaft being supported at its ends in bracket or socket pieces 21 carried by the` frame pieces 16.

A pulley 22 is supported by the top cross pieces of the bucket frame and with this engages the hoisting rope ,23 which passes from its point of attachment, 21, to the cross piece of the top section of the upright supporting frame, downward about the pulley 22A in the bucket frame, thence upward and over the pulleys 7 and 9 at the head of the supporting frame, and thence downward and around the pulley 6 on the base piece of the lower section of the frame, from whence it passes to the winding drum of the hoisting engine, not shown in the drawings.

The bucket frame is held in place within 'the upright supporting frame by guide pieces 25 arranged to engage with the ribs 15 attached to the uprights of the supporting frame.

To the bottom of the bucket are secured bracket bearings 27 which are free. to turn upon the cross shaft 20. The normal position of the bucket is upright as indicated in full lines in the drawings, in which position it receives its load and elevates it to the place where it is to be delivered. The pivotal support of the bucket is to one side of a vertical plane passing through the center of gravity of the bucket and its load, so that if unrestrained the bucket will tilt to the position indicated in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2 and discharge its contents.

.The bucket isheld in normal upright position by a weighted latch 26, pivotally supported on an upright of the bucket frame, the nose of which is adapted to engage with a socket piece 28 secured to the bucket.

I provide means for automatically releasing the bucket as it approaches the point Where it is to discharge, and causing it to gradually tilt and deliver its load, and then righting it and locking it in uprightposition as it starts upon its descent, and such means I will now describe. It will be understood that the eccentric support of the bucket such as described insures that the latch 26 shall be maintained in close and firm engagement with the socket or contact piece 28, and with parts shaped as shown in the drawings, it requires considerable force to move the latch from its seat in the frame 28. vI have therefore found it desirable to first slightly tilt the bucket, as it approaches the place of discharge, moving it sufficiently to permit the latch to be easily moved from the socket piece and then, when thus freed, to move the latch to disengage the bucket and leave it free to tilt.

b29 are rub pieces arranged to be engaged by the bucket as it approaches the hopper or chute 11 into which it is to discharge. These rub pieces are preferably formed of elastic material, such as spring metal, and are conveniently supported oy the horizontal frame 10. Theymay ue yieldingly held in working position by backing springs 30. The edge of the bucket that engagesr with the rub pieces 29 is preferably provided with a wearing strip 31. The engagement of the edge of the bucket with the elastic or yielding rub pieces tilts the bucket backward just sufliciently to relieve the latch 26 from strain, and immediately thereafter a contact arm 32 of the latch piece comes into engagement with a trip bar 33, carried by the stationary supporting frame and arranged to rock the latch and lift it entirely free from the socket piece 28, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. As soon as the forward edge of the bucket passes beyond the upper ends of the rub pieces, the bucket begins to tilt forward and discharge its load, the edge of the bucket meanwhile resting Aupon a cross bar 31, which may be a roller,

carried by the horizontal frame at the edge of the opening to the chute or hopper 11. This arrangement 'insures that the bucket shall move from its upright position to the inclined position for discharging gradually, so that the tilting is effected without shock to the apparatus. The bucket is arrested in the inclined position for complete discharge by coming into engagement with a stop bar 35 carried by the bucket frame below the cross bar 20.

It will be understood that the bucket frame is arrested in its upward movement about the time the bucket assumes the tilted position for complete discharge. On the return down movement of the bucket its'forward edge engages with the cross bar 34 which tilts the bucket back into upright poaies sition. Contact pieces 36, 37 carried respectively by the bucket and the bucket frame arrest the bucket as it is brought to its upright position and prevent its being tilted too far back. The stops 37 may also be arranged, as shown, to prevent the latches 26 from turning over on their pivots when raised by engagement with the contact or trip bars 33.

By supporting the receiving hopper or chute into which the bucket discharges from a frame that constitutes a part of the top section of the upright supporting and guiding frame, and by also mounting the rub pieces 29 which effect the preliminary back ward tilt of the bucket, and the trip bars 33 which lift the latches 2G to release the bucket upon the said top frame section, it is practical to so relate these parts one to the other that the bucket automatically discharges into the hopper, whatever be the height of the frame; and this relationship of parts is always maintained and does not. have to be located after each time there is a change in the height of the upright frame.

38 indica-tes ay bracket for the loading chute, supported by the upright frame in its lower end or at such level as the loading may take place. It preferably consists o-f a pair of outward horizontally ext-ending angle pieces and the braces 39. i

40 indicates the loading chute which is pivotally supported from a shaft 4l mounted on the bracket 38. rlhe chute may be of any suitable construction and is so inclined that it delivers to the bucket 19 when the latter is in receiving position. The

the near edge of the bucket.

The form of loading chute represented in Fig. 1 is carried by a pair of curved arms 42 constituting hinge pieces uniting the chute with the supporting shaft 41 to which they are hung at their upper ends and on which they are free to swing. The chute lies between these arms to which it is secured, and the latter are so disposed as to extend slightly into the up-and-down path of the bucket, so that as it moves past the chute its edge engages with the curved edges 43 of the arms and tilts the chute back out of the way, thus allowing the bucket to freely pass. The center of gravity of the chute is so disposed with reference to the axis about which it swings that it normally hangs in proper position to deliver to the bucket.

In order to protect the sheave 22, carried by the movable bucket frame, from flying particles of concrete being fed through the lower edge of the chute slightly overhangs chute to the bucket, il employ a shield 49 carried by the bucket frame and interposed between the chute and such sheave.

In Figs. 4 and 5, l have illustrated a method of mounting the loading chute different from that illustrated in Fig. l. .Re-

ferring to that figure, 45 indicates extensions of the horizontal bars or pieces of the bracket 38. secured hinge pieces that are united with the bracket 33 by pivot-s 47. IThe cross shaft 41 is supported by the extension pieces 45 and from it are suspended the hinge pieces 42 for the loading chute, the chute being preferably pivoted at 44 to the lower ends of the hinge pieces 42.

4S is a cross piece carried by the extension pieces of the bracket and arranged to maintain the chute in proper inclined position for delivering to the elevating bucket. When the bucket moves upward its edge engages with theinner end of the loading chute and tilts it upward into the dotted line position indicated in Fig. 4 when the bucket, passing beyond the chute, allows it to fall back into normal delivery position. (in. the return, downward movement `of the bucket the edge of the latter engages with the forward end of the delivery chute and tilts it backward. Since the stop 48 holds the chute in proper inclined position for vfeeding to the bucket, it follows that the chute cannot tilt upon its pivots 44 as the bucket moves downward and engages there-4 with, but instead the chute is bodily moved backward or away from the bucket, turning about the pivots 47 which constitute the hinges for the movable section of the supporting bracket by which the chute is directly supported. The backward position to which the chute is forced by the downward movement of the bucket is indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4.

The hinged extension pieces of the feeding chute bracket are maintained in hori- Zonta-l position by reason of the engagement of their inner ends with the outer ends of the stationary horizontal membersof the bracket when the extension pieces come into horizontal position. These engaging ends are preferably beveled as indicated at 50.

Vihat I claim is l 1. ln a. self-dumping material elevator,

To theseestension pieces arev an upright frame, a bucket flame'vertically free to til 2. ln a self-dumping ymaterial elevator, an upper supporting frame, a receiving hopper supported by the frame, a movable bucket frame, a bucket pivotally supported in the bucket frame and arranged when left free to tilt by gravity, means for moving the bucket to free the latch from strain as `the bucket approaches the receiving chute orhopper, and means for moving the latch to free the bucket immediately after it s released. i

3. In a self-dumping material elevator, heated preferably by steam admitted throughthe combination of an upright frame, a bucket frame movable therein, a bucket pivoted in the bucket frame and arranged to tilt into discharging position when left free, a latch for holding the bucket in upright position, stationary rub pieces with which the bucket engages arranged to slightly move the latter in order to free the latch from strain, and a stationary trip bar with which the latch engages and by which it is moved to freei'thefbucket, the bar being arranged to move the latch immediately after the bucket is moved to free the latch.

4. In a self-dumping material elevator, an upright supporting frame, a receiving hopper or chute supported by the frame near its upper end, a vertically movable bucket frame mounted in the supporting frame, a

bucket pivoted in the bucket frame and arranged to tilt by gravity into discharging position, a latch for holding the bucket in upright position, elastic rub pieces for moving the bucketk to relieve the latch Vfrom strain immediately before the bucket reaches 4the position to dump into the said hopper or chute, and a trip bar carried by the stationary frame arranged to move the latch to release the bucket immediately after the latter has been movedby 'the rub pieces.

5. In a self-dumping material elevator, an upright supporting frame, a receiving hopper or chute supported by the frame near its upper end, a verticallymovable 'bucket frame mounted in the supporting frame, a bucket pivoted in the bucket frame and arranged to tilt by gravity into discharging position, a latch for holding the bucket in upright position, and a cross bar at the edge of the receiving hopper or chute upon which the bucket is adapted to rest as it gradually tilts to discharge.

6. In a self-dumping material elevator, an upright supporting frame, a receiving hopper or chute supported by the frame near its upper end, a vertically movable bucket frame mounted in the supporting frame, a bucket pivoted in the bucket frame and arranged to tilt by gravity into discharging position, a latch for holding the bucket in upright position, rub pieces for moving the bucket to relieve the latch from strain vimmediately before the bucket reaches the position to dump into said hopper or chute, av

trip bar carried by the stationary frame arranged to move the latch to release the bucket immediately after the latter has been moved by the rub pieces, and a stop carried by the bucket frame for positively arresting the bucket in the position for Iinal discharge.

7. In a self-dumping material elevator, an upright supporting frame, a receiving hopper or chute.supported by the frame near its upper end, a vertically movable bucket frame mounted in the supporting frame, a bucket pivoted in the bucket frame and arranged to tilt by gravity into discharging position, a latch for holding the bucket in upright position, means for releasing the bucket from the latch as it approaches the receiving hopper or chute, a cross bar ar ranged near the edge of the chute on which the bucket rests as it tilts to discharge, and by which it is returned to upright position as the bucket frame moves downward, and a stop for preventing the bucket from being moved too far as it is being restored tb upright position.

8. In a material elevator or hoist, an upright frame, a bucket movable in the said frame, a pivoted chute for delivering material to the bucket, and a pair of curved armsk pivoted at their upper ends, between which the chute is located and to which it is secured, curved portions of the arms extending into the path of the bucket, whereby as it moves up and downit engages therewith and swings the chute back out of the way to al- 4 low the bucket to pass.

9. In a material elevator or hoist, an upright frame, a bucket movable up and down therein, a' supporting bracket, across shaft supported in the said bracket, depending arms pivotally supported at their upper ends upon the said shaft, and a feeding chute for delivering material to the bucket supported by the said depending arms, the lower edge' gf tllie chute extending over the edge of the uc et.

10. In an elevator for material, `an up i f right frame, a bucket movable up and down therein, and a pivoted feed chute through which material is directed to the bucket, arranged to be freely supported and held by gravity with its edge in the path of up and down movement of the bucket, and arranged to be moved back out of the pathof the bucket. as the latter travels past the same,

and to return to feeding position by gravity A when the bucket is movedbeyond it.

CHRISTOPHER W. LEVALLEY.

Witnesses:

M. C. FRYE, G. J'. Gaastra 1t is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,168,947, granted Jennery 18, 1916, ripon the application of .Christopher WfLevalley, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin for an improvement in Self-Dlimping'gv Elevators, en error appears in the printed specification requiring correction es follows: Page f1, claim 3, strike out line 5 and that the said Letters Patent should be read with thisy correction therein that the same may oonforrn to the record of the case in the Patent Oice.

Signed and sealed this 8th day of February, A'. E., 1916. v

R. F. WHITEHE,

[SEAL] f o Acting Commissioner 1f-Patents.

ACl. 214-12. 

